Abbreviations
An abbreviation is the shortened form of a term. It is generally formed using the first letters of every word of a multi-word term, but it can also simply be the contracted form of a word.
- USA, UK, EU, NATO, NASA, UN, MBA, CEO, VP, MD, ATM, URL, FYI, BCE
- e.g., i.e., a.m., p.m., etc., et al.
- kg, g, ms, mph, dc, bhp, rpm, kmps
- Dr., Prof., Rev., Mr., Inc., Corp., Jr., Mt., St., Jan., Sun.
Abbreviations are common in both formal and informal writing. They help avoid repeating long, complicated terms in a document and are useful when space is limited.
- Dr. Strange and Capt. Nemo attended the UN conference on DNA research held in the UK on Feb. 1, 2039, at 9 a.m., local time.
You generally explain an abbreviation to the reader the first time you use it in a document. This can be done in several ways.
- The company has launched a new line of unsinkable floating devices (UFDs).
- A UFD (unsinkable floating device) is provided to every passenger.
- An unsinkable floating device, or UFD, can save lives on sea.
Many terms are better known by their abbreviated than their full forms, while some abbreviations (e.g., DNA, GPS, HTML) are listed as nouns in standard dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster. Such abbreviations do not need to be explained at first use in a document.
- DNA
- GPS
- HTML
- URL
- DNR
- CD
- DVD
- VPN
- JPEG
- CEO
- ATM
- PhD
- NASA
- OPEC
- NATO
- UNICEF
- GMT
Also read about the types of abbreviations, when to use them, and how to use them correctly in formal writing.